The Positive Power of Habit

 I like doing things the same way each time I do them.

The experts say if you do something exactly the same way 21 times in a row it becomes a habit - something that you just do without thought. 

For example, when I go to the mall, I always park park outside JC Penney no matter what store I’m going to. I never have to think about “Oh, where did I leave my car?”  My mother would have benefitted from this strategy because she called the police to report her car stolen - twice. She had just forgotten where she parked it - twice. 

Over time, I have figured out what works for me and I just do things in that way all the time. 

You can put the power to habit to work for you too. Maybe you get in the habit of mentally checking to see if you have what you need for homework, before dashing out of school at the end of the day or maybe, plugging your computer in to charge at the same time each day. 

When I was a middle school student, some 1,000 years ago, I found I needed to do my homework either just before or just after dinner. Usually, I’d get home, have a snack, watch The Galloping Gourmet (Yeah, enjoy that bit of TV history), then play football with my friends and dive into homework just before or immediately after dinner. It was a habit that worked for me.

Figure out what works for you and do it exactly that way each time. Eventually, you’ll just automatically do it that way all the time. 

But, if you’re going to watch TV after school, choose a better show than I did…